Ianto ran his hands over his jacket, feeling really better for the first time, now that he was clean and in a fresh suit. The shield Owen had inadvertently helped him create was starting to waver, and he couldn’t help but wonder how Jack had managed to shield him the whole night.

His first stop was to make coffee, making sure, first that Tosh and Gwen weren’t around. He felt guilty avoiding them, but he wasn’t sure he could keep their emotions out. He deposited a mug of coffee on both of their desks, knowing they'd be back from where every they'd gone to and be grateful for the caffeine. He retreated to Jack's office with his own mug. He could just as easily look into the open research from here, and the rift needed to be checked on. No paperwork, though he was sure it was backlogged somewhere. Besides, he didn’t think anyone would bother him there.

He took a sip of too hot coffee and blushed at the moan that came out of his mouth. No doubt Jack would label it ‘pornographic’ His caffeine levels were in the basement though, and Ianto couldn’t really bring himself to care too much about the sounds he made.

He got to work, and was quickly lost to the outside world, letting his shield slip since he was alone. He would need it later, and it wouldn’t do to keep it up if it just exhausted him.

His head jerked up sharply when the door burst open, Gwen rushing in and already talking to Jack, and he was assaulted by waves of emotion. Boredom, Frustration, Surprise, Worry, Fear, Guilt and ohgodithurt.

It hit him like a physical blow and he tumbled out of the chair, his mind reeling. It hurt, and he was on fire, and he couldn’t breathe, and he thought it might just have been him that was screaming, though maybe it was Gwen.

“Oh sweetheart!" Gwen stepped forward, eyes wide, arms outstretched, and then he knew it was him who was screaming. It hurt.

Gwen froze.

There was a sudden loud pounding of feet, and Jack, and then a second later, Owen were bursting into the office.

"Gwen! Out now!" Jack yelled, shouldering past her, putting his own body between her and Ianto.

Owen didn't even speak he just snarled, sounding far too like the weevils he spent so much time around.

Gwen fled, and Jack was beside the younger man, lifting him up, sliding in behind him so that Ianto was leaning against his chest, and suddenly he could breathe.

Owen was there, and Ianto hadn’t realized he had curled up into himself until Owen’s hands were tugging at him gently, forcing him to stretch out, running over his body, looking for injuries.

The pain Ianto had felt was being slowly replaced by the warmth he was starting to associate with the two men. He closed his eyes and just let himself be held for awhile.

Jack was speaking quietly in his ear. "Ianto? Love, are you okay I heard you from the other side of the hub."

"Is that why you're both naked and wet?" Ianto asked, breathlessly, feeling as if he were swimming through thin molasses.

Owen blinked and looked down, seeming genuinely surprised. "Oh. Forgot about that. We were in the shower."

Ianto sighed and tried to push himself up "You two stay here, I'll fetch you some towels and clothes." He winced as he shifted.

"Oh no you don't! Sit! Stay!" Owen barked, pushing on his shoulders before he could get up. "What happened? I thought you were shielded?" Owen demanded, grabbing Ianto's wrist to check his pulse.

"I was tired. I let them go. I don't know. She just...startled me I guess. I was focusing on the paperwork and then she burst in, and then the pain was back." Ianto told them, looking longingly at the coffee cup on the edge of the desk. He could really use some caffeine.

Owen followed his gaze.

"What are you- is that coffee? Your heart rate keeps shooting over the moon, and you're having coffee?"

"Um...yes?"

Owen covered his face. "Jack, I swear to god I’m going to throttle him."

Jack made soothing noises at both of them. "It's okay, Ianto's shields weren’t up. He's going to be okay now, I’m covering him and his heart rate comes down when he's shielded. And the pain stops."

“He should have been shielded before!” The doctor argued, letting his annoyance slip now that he knew the younger man was shielded.

“It’s a bloody miracle I got them up in the first place.” Ianto intervened.

"Because you slacked off in training!" Owen accused.

Ianto gave him an annoyed look. "Thank you. Yes I know, the tea boy’s not perfect. Will you please shut up about it?”

Ianto pulled himself away from Jack.

“Are you two planning on walking around naked all day, or can I get up to get you towel and clothes, and a mop to clean up all the water you're dripping everywhere?"

"We're perfectly happy to walk around naked, and we'll clean up the water later.” Jack was still trying to be soothing, and Ianto felt his irritation disappear. “You're not going anywhere without me until you're better at shielding your self." Jack continued,

"I'll go get some towel's and clothes." Owen said. Ianto’s eye’s widened and Owen shrugged. "I've slept with Gwen, and Tosh has without question perved over every hint of nudity on the CCTV footage, so nothing they haven't seen."

"Them and everyone in every building near your apartment." Ianto muttered.

"You're the one who wanted it against the glass." Owen said with a smirk, and Ianto blushed, looking down at the wet footprints on the floor.

Ianto ignored the doctor as he left the office, but laughed at the yelps from Tosh and Gwen as he strolled through the main hub.

Jack was snickering like a schoolboy listening to a dirty joke.

“You’re enjoying this far too much.” Ianto looked down at his suit and sighed. "And I'm wet again."

"Sorry. I'll send Owen to find you something dry when he gets back." Jack threaded his fingers though Ianto's hair gently, still kneeling next to him, and looking at him intently.

"I'm fine Jack. You don't have to watch me like I'm going to fall over dead."

"You didn't have you hear your heart rate shoot past the roof, or hear the screaming. You were on the floor, in pain, and it wouldn’t have happened if I had been here.

Ianto rubbed his face. "Jack, it's not your fault. I'm a grown adult. I can take care of my self. Or at least I should be able to if I was better. It's my fault, as Owen said for 'slacking' in my training. If I'd paid more attention, practiced more over the years this wouldn't be happening. We could be focusing on the device and how to fix this situation with you and Owen, instead of you two having to hover over me like mother hens."

“Hummingbirds hover, Hens don’t even fly” Jack argued, teasing a small smile out of the younger man.

“Still-”

Jack reached out and snagged Ianto’s mug, handing it to him. “Tell you what? You stop arguing and I’ll warn you when Owen’s getting close.”

“Deal.” Ianto saluted Jack with the mug, before taking a large gulp.